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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25183147">Buffy's New Challenge</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/Buffyworldbuilder'>Buffyworldbuilder</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Atonements and Fresh Starts [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:40:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,280</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25183147</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/Buffyworldbuilder</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is one of the many sequels to "A Brother's Love" featuring more of Buffy as she goes to live on a new hellmouth in Cleveland with Wesley as her Watcher and Cordelia as her connection to the Powers. Features some Avengers characters. Xander tries to prevent a vision he foresees as he and Anya plan for their future.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Atonements and Fresh Starts [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766362</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>
        <strong>This picks up a few months after "How to Save a Life Buffy Style." It focuses mostly on Cordelia and Buffy. If you haven't read any of this series, start with "A Brother's Love" to get all the background.</strong>
      </p>
      <p>
        <strong>Disclaimer: I don't own </strong>
        <strong>
          <em>BTVS</em>
        </strong>
        <strong> or any of Joss Whedon's characters. Nor Stan Lee's </strong>
        <strong>
          <em>Marvel</em>
        </strong>
        <strong> characters. Only this story is mine.</strong>
      </p>
      <p>Chapter 1: A New Hellmouth</p>
      <p>
        <em>*****Cleveland*****</em>
      </p>
      <p>Cordelia had trouble believing how much her life had changed since she had awoken from her coma. After having it out with Angel and going back to Dennis and her old apartment, Buffy had stopped by, giving her too much to think about. She had wanted to escape back to Asgard and let the beauty of the place soothe her restless soul. A time or two, she could've sworn she actually felt the presences of Loki or the All Father. Their powers <em>were </em>vast, so maybe they were watching out for her? It should've creeped her out, but instead, it brought her comfort.</p>
      <p>Now, though, she was living in Cleveland. The decision to follow Buffy and be her conduit to the Powers instead of Angel wasn't really a hard decision. There was no way she could follow Angel into the abyss that was Wolfram &amp; Hart. She needed a mission, and Buffy could use the help. The choice was obvious.</p>
      <p>Thanks to the money they all were paid from the Council, they were able to purchase a small apartment building. It had eight small apartments, but Xander suggested they double the size of each, making it roomier for all of them. There were four on the bottom and four more apartments on the top. She and Buffy took the downstairs since Buffy would be spending more time at night going in and out. Xander and Anya took the upstairs. The extra two apartments, they decided to not double in case they needed to house guests like Willow or Tara. Wesley said he didn't need much space, so he was in one. All of the apartments were two bedrooms before renovation. Wes was hoping that Fred would decide to join him in Cleveland.</p>
      <p>Buffy's brother Clint helped Buffy move. It was Cordy's first time to meet him, and his lack of height made her grin.</p>
      <p>"I can see the resemblance," Cordelia said.</p>
      <p>"Shut up," Buffy said, glaring.</p>
      <p>Cordelia laughed while Clint looked puzzled.</p>
      <p>"That was a dig at your and Buffy's lack of height," Dawn explained with a smirk. Laura stayed behind with the kids, but they let her come. Buffy moving away was hard for Dawn, but she didn't want to live on another hellmouth. Dawn was enjoying being a normal kid for a change—as normal as a former immortal key could be.</p>
      <p>"My height it just fine. I'm the same height as you," Clint said to Cordelia.</p>
      <p>"Which is fine if you're a woman," Cordelia replied.</p>
      <p>"It's fine for a man," Buffy said, not liking anyone insulting her brother.</p>
      <p>Clint laughed, not caring what some former cheerleader thought about him. "Are you going to fight her for my honor?" he asked, enjoying his sister's protectiveness. He found that he really liked being a big brother. Dawn and Buffy were so different and needed completely different things from him. His sisters fought a lot with one another, but Buffy was insanely protective of Dawn. However, she was the same exact way with him. He'd seen Buffy go toe to toe with both Nat and Nick Fury when she thought they weren't giving him the respect she thought he deserved.</p>
      <p>"I don't do hair pulling anymore, which is all Cordy's capable of, so it wouldn't be fair," Buffy said with a smirk.</p>
      <p>Now Cordelia was genuinely insulted. "As if! I've been fighting the good fight for years, too, Miss High and Mighty! Sure, I had a little coma, but before that I was fighting all kinds of big bads. Without the help of a slayer, by the way," she said. Then she flashed Buffy a smug look. "However, I did have your hot ex training me every spare minute. I'm pretty good with a sword. Oh, yea, and I'm half demon now, so I bet I can take you!"</p>
      <p>"How about we test that?" Buffy said.</p>
      <p>Xander finally made his presence known. "How about you both chill out? We're going to be working together, so you two will need to learn to get along and stop picking at each other," he said, giving them both pointed looks. "You need each other. She's vision gal, Buffy, and you're slay gal. Together, you're going to kick demon ass, not each other's!"</p>
      <p>"He's right," Cordelia said. "I'm sorry. I was just teasing you."</p>
      <p>"I've not had a brother long enough to not care when people insult him," Buffy said, giving her a sheepish smile. The old Cordy would've never have apologized so quickly.</p>
      <p>Clint put his arm around Buffy's shoulder. "I love that you want to fight for my honor," he told her.</p>
      <p>Buffy grinned. "I'm going to miss you so much," she said.</p>
      <p>"Don't worry. I'll be here to check on as much as possible," he said.</p>
      <p>"You're already gone enough from Laura and the kids," Buffy said. "Dawn needs you, too."</p>
      <p>Clint turned and put both arms on her shoulder. "I'll take good care of her. I only go on trips when Hydra's involved now," he reminded her.</p>
      <p>Now that Bucky was found and getting help, the Avengers were focusing on destroying Hydra wherever they could find cells.</p>
      <p>Cordy was more than a little jealous of Buffy having such an amazing brother. It'd been two weeks since they'd move to Cleveland, and Clint called his sister frequently. Buffy was forever going on about what he said at any given time. Cordy both hated it and loved to hear about whatever her brother and the Avengers were up to.</p>
      <p>Today, they were training. Anya found a space just a few blocks away where she opened up her new Magic Box location. Like the one in Sunnydale, this one had a training space in the back.</p>
      <p>Buffy was continuously surprised by Cordelia Chase. Only on occasion did Buffy see glimpses of the shallow, sharp-tongued girl from high school. Instead, this new Cordy was empathetic, intuitive, and motivated. She and Buffy both were going to take classes at Cleveland State University in the fall. Buffy was going to go part-time and not put so much pressure on herself. With her slaying duties, she didn't want to take on too much and fall helplessly behind like she had in Sunnydale. Laura had convinced her that it was okay to take her time through college. Now that they had the extra funds, there was no need to work so hard.</p>
      <p>Today, they were sparring with the swords. Wesley had arrived a few days earlier, having a case with Angel that took longer to solve than normal. He was supervising their training.</p>
      <p>"Your dropping your left, Buffy," he called out. Buffy adjusted and swung her sword, and Cordy met it with a hard blow.</p>
      <p>"You're stronger than I expected," Buffy said, impressed.</p>
      <p>Cordy grinned. "I told you that I was good," she said.</p>
      <p>Buffy was relieved. Xander was stronger and better than ever and now so was Cordy, which meant she didn't have to worry as much about them both.</p>
      <p>"We're so going to make this hellmouth our bitch!" she declared.</p>
      <p>"Totally!" Cordy agreed.</p>
      <p>Wesley was pleased with the two women's progress. None of the high school rivalry he'd glimpsed in his brief tenure as Buffy's watcher was evident. The two had more in common than Cordelia had with Fried, and he could see what a difference it made. Xander and Buffy shared a strong history with Cordelia that no amount of space or time away could erase. There was an ease between them that Cordy and Fred never had.</p>
      <p>Buffy, for her part, was a bit surprised to see the close bond between Wesley and Cordelia. She recalled the brief attraction between the two when he'd arrived into town their senior year. However, she didn't sense any of that now. When Buffy had asked, Cordelia had wrinkled her nose.</p>
      <p>"Gross! We kissed a few times, and nothing was good about any of the kisses. When he came to L. A., I'd just been given the visions from Doyle," Cordelia explained. "Doyle kissed me before he died, which is how they were transferred. So, I was kissing everyone I could find to get rid of them. Wesley came into the office and I kissed him."</p>
      <p>Buffy laughed, picturing the scene. "Still no attraction?"</p>
      <p>"Nope. Nothing," Cordy said. "But we fought together. We both nearly died together too many times. He's like my best friend—him, Angel, and Gunn."</p>
      <p>"Who would've have thought you'd have so many guy friends and none of them are your ex?" Buffy said in bemusement.</p>
      <p>"I know, right?" Cordelia said, grinning. She and Xander were friends, but they had to keep things casual. "I don't think Xander and I could ever be just friends like that, though."</p>
      <p>"I get it," Buffy said. "Angel and I never will either."</p>
      <p>The women shared a look of understanding. Some things just didn't need explaining.</p>
      <p>*****<em>Two Weeks Later*****</em></p>
      <p>Xander was feeling good about his move to Cleveland. The town was bigger than Sunnydale, so it was harder to patrol. Buffy, though, finally realized that he wasn't the kid she graduated from high school with anymore. Thanks to Odin, he was all he could be and more. He'd never be Captain America, but he wasn't a liability that Buffy needed to worry about. Although he missed Steve and the other guys, he liked being in a new place. Cleveland's hellmouth was not at the strength of his hometown's, so it was not as filled with the various demonic elements that Sunnydale had. However, there was a growing vampire population and a few of the benign demon clans. In fact, Clem's cousins on his mother's side lived in the town, which gave them a connection to the demon gossip.</p>
      <p>Anya was bored. "Patrolling in this town is so boring!" she complained. They were in their third graveyard of the night, and they'd seen no action so far.</p>
      <p>"Don't you think we've had enough excitement in our young lives already?" Xander said, putting his arm around her shoulder. He had a few stakes on him and a sword in his left hand while Anya had a soaker full of holy water and a few stakes on her.</p>
      <p>"Speak for yourself. My life's been going on for ten centuries, so it's not very young. Plus, I'm used to living on the edge of death," she complained.</p>
      <p>Her complaint pained Xander as he saw a flash of memory of his premonition concerning her. He hadn't had another since they'd moved, but Xander was not going to relax his guard yet. Leaving Sunnydale was the right choice. Not only was Ohio much closer to Willow and Tara in New York, his new job in the company was going really well.</p>
      <p>"Do you hear that?" Anya suddenly said.</p>
      <p>"What?" Xander said, frowning.</p>
      <p>Anya didn't respond but started walking down the path to the corner of the cemetery.</p>
      <p>"Where you going, Ahn?" Xander asked.</p>
      <p>"She's calling. Don't you hear her?" Anya asked, her face intent as she picked up her pace.</p>
      <p>"Who? Buffy? I don't Buffy think is in this one, Ahn," Xander said.</p>
      <p>He kept pace with her, growing more concerned as she kept walking without looking at him. "What's that ahead?" he asked, pointing. He saw a throng of people and a light. "Oh, they must be having some type of creepy cemetery event. This place has one of those old stage things. I read about it. I think it was a park at one time or something."</p>
      <p>"She's there," Anya said.</p>
      <p>"Who? Who is there?" Xander asked. He grabbed her arm to slow her progress. "Talk to me."</p>
      <p>She sprayed him with the holy water, which caused him to loosen his grip from his surprise. Then she rushed down the path toward the people.</p>
      <p>"What the hell?" Xander asked. He pulled out his phone, wigged out. His spidey sense was tingling, telling him that something wicked was coming. He just knew it. Xander shot off a text to Buffy telling her where they were in case things went sideways. Then he put his phone away and jogged to catch up to Anya.</p>
      <p>Anya was standing next to several people who were all looking ahead with various degrees of awe and adoration on their face. "What's going on?" he asked.</p>
      <p>Anya just pointed, so he looked. His mouth went slack jawed as he beheld the ethereal woman on stage. She was the most stunning woman that he had ever seen with long flowing black hair, a perfect figure. Ice blue eyes looked directly at him. He felt a voice in his head.</p>
      <p>"<em>Will you be one with me?" </em>the woman somehow asked him without moving her lips.</p>
      <p>His heart raced as he was enraptured along with the dozens of people surrounding the small stage she stood on. His mind didn't register the large blue, glowing stone she held in her hand.</p>
      <p>*****<em>Across Town****</em></p>
      <p>Buffy and Cordelia were trading stories. They'd been separated for three years, and they both had plenty of tales to tell. At first, it had bothered Buffy that Angel was such a part of Cordelia's life—in a way that Buffy could never be. However, Buffy knew it was time to let it go. It wasn't Cordy or Angel's fault the way things worked out between Buffy and Angel.</p>
      <p>"Let's play a game," Cordelia suggested when there was a pause in the story swapping.</p>
      <p>"Wait, there's a vamp rising," Buffy called out and pointed. Sure enough, a hand was pushing through a grave.</p>
      <p>"You wanna take it?" Cordelia asked.</p>
      <p>"Sure," she said eagerly. They'd killed one vamp all night, and Buffy was eager to slay another.</p>
      <p>It took just a minute, and she felt a bit letdown. "That was so lame," she grumbled.</p>
      <p>"It's good to get in back into regular patrolling a few vamps at a time, don't you think?" Cordelia said.</p>
      <p>"I guess," Buffy said. "It's just I've been out of commission for so long it seems. Fighting Glory, dying and coming back. Then hanging in Iowa with Clint and my family. Going to search for Bucky with Steve was the most exciting thing that happened to me all year."</p>
      <p>Cordy's eyes lit up. "So let's play my game," she said.</p>
      <p>"What game?" Buffy asked.</p>
      <p>"Who would you rather?" Cordy said. "Vin Diesel or the Rock?"</p>
      <p>Buffy looked confused. "Do what with them?" she asked.</p>
      <p>Cordelia laughed. "You so need to get out more!" she said. "Who would you rather sleep with. It's a way to learn more about one another."</p>
      <p>"So Vin Diesel or the Rock?" Buffy asked. Cordy nodded. "Probably Vin Diesel. I'd feel so tiny with the Rock."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, how would that work?" Cordy asked.</p>
      <p>"Faith slept with the Hulk, so I guess it probably could work with me and the Rock," Buffy said. "But I kind of like Vin."</p>
      <p>"You like those bad boys!" Cordy said knowingly. Then what Buffy revealed registered. "Faith had sex with the Hulk? You're joking? Tell me that's a joke—a really sick joke!"</p>
      <p>"Xander didn't already tell you?" Buffy asked surprised.</p>
      <p>"No! He <em>so</em> didn't," Cordy said. "Anya doesn't let he and I talk much."</p>
      <p>"Yeah, she's a bit insecure," Buffy said not surprised. "Don't let it bother you."</p>
      <p>"I don't. I'd be the same way if I was with him," she said. "So Vin? I'd probably go for the Rock. He's like a giant, lovable lug."</p>
      <p>"Ryan Gosling or Ryan Reynolds?" Buffy asked.</p>
      <p>"Gosling," Cordelia said.</p>
      <p>"Yea," Buffy agreed.</p>
      <p>"So about Tony Starks or Bruce Banner?" Cordy said, grinning.</p>
      <p>"They're both old!" Buffy protested.</p>
      <p>"Says the boinker of two men that were much, much older!" Cordelia reminded her.</p>
      <p>Buffy glared. "Fine. Tony's funny, so probably him—don't tell Pepper," she said.</p>
      <p>"He is witty," Cordelia said in agreement. "What about Thor or Loki?"</p>
      <p>"Thor annoys me. Loki is just creepy. Neither," Buffy said.</p>
      <p>"Seriously?" Cordelia asked. "I'd go with either!"</p>
      <p>The girls laughed. Then Buffy asked. "What about Natasha or Steve?"</p>
      <p>Both women looked at each other and said, "Natasha!"</p>
      <p>"Seriously?" Cordelia asked in surprise. "I'd think Steve be exactly your type. Didn't you date a corn-fed solider just like him?"</p>
      <p>"Riley wasn't much like Steve, not really," Buffy said. "But Riley has sort of turned me off soldier boys. What about you? Angel told me about that Drew guy you dated from Pylea. He sounded a lot like Riley."</p>
      <p>"More like Steve. Idealist and brave. He adored me," Cordy said, feeling guilty still for him.</p>
      <p>"So what happened?" Buffy inquired.</p>
      <p>Cordelia shrugged. "I just couldn't seem to love him like he loved me. I was more in love with the romance of it all," she admitted. "I mean, I was made queen of a planet or realm. Seriously. I was a freakin' <em>queen</em>. He fought for my honor, and it was the thing of fantasy."</p>
      <p>"Sounds like," Buffy said, feeling a twinge of jealousy.</p>
      <p>"I got caught up in the romance more than really seeing him for who he was," Cordelia said.</p>
      <p>"So what about Angel?" Buffy asked. "Who would you rather? Angel or Xander?"</p>
      <p>Cordelia was surprised by that one. "Are you sure you want to know?" she asked bluntly.</p>
      <p>Buffy winced but nodded.</p>
      <p>"Okay, Angel—if it didn't make him go all evil," Cordelia qualified.</p>
      <p>Buffy wasn't too surprised. She knew that there was something between her and Angel, but she didn't want to probe it further.</p>
      <p>"What about you?" Cordy asked. "Angel or Spike?"</p>
      <p>Buffy hesitated a moment before answering. "Why would you ask me that? Spike and I aren't anything!"</p>
      <p>"Sounds like you're protesting awfully hard there," Cordelia said with a smirk. "I know he's totally in love with you—Anya and Dawn both told me. He's got a soul now. It wouldn't be wrong for you to go for him."</p>
      <p>Buffy was silent. "I feel an attraction for him," she admitted, not looking at Cordelia as she said it. "But it would be Angel—always."</p>
      <p>"Well, then how about this? How about Angel or Bucky?" Cordy said with a mischievous grin. "I know you like Steve's wounded friend, so don't try to deny it!"</p>
      <p>"Fine, I won't. Yes, Bucky," Buffy said. She'd gotten one letter from him since he'd moved to wherever he was getting help. Buffy sent her letters to New York, and they got passed on to Bucky. It took a bit for him to get her letters. She was always excited to hear from him, but she wasn't ready to think too much about what that meant. Leave it to Cordy to pick up on her eager excitement.</p>
      <p>Cordelia looked triumph. "I knew it!" she said. "You do like a challenge."</p>
      <p>Buffy's phone buzzed, interrupting them. "Looks like something weird's going on at the Nelson Cemetery on Briar," she said.</p>
      <p>"There you are!" a voice called out.</p>
      <p>Buffy turned and saw Tony and Bruce walking down the sidewalk. Bruce didn't look very comfortable.</p>
      <p>"What are you guys doing here?" Buffy asked as she moved toward them.</p>
      <p>"Didn't I email you that we were coming to get a reading on this hellmouth?" Tony asked. "Bruce is doing a survey of all the hellmouths on the planet."</p>
      <p>"Tony is having me survey them," Bruce corrected.</p>
      <p>"Are you sure that's safe? How are you feeling?" Buffy asked Bruce.</p>
      <p>"Not overly anxious, so this one is probably tame compared to Sunnydale," he said.</p>
      <p>"You're not wrong," Cordelia said. "We've only killed two vamps tonight, and we've been patrolling for two hours."</p>
      <p>Bruce grinned, thinking Faith would've been just as bored. The women from Sunnydale were a rare breed.</p>
      <p>"We gotta go. Xander says there's some trouble brewing a few miles west of here," Buffy said. "You got wheels?"</p>
      <p>"A car parked at the entrance," Bruce said.</p>
      <p>"Sir," JARVIS said to Tony.</p>
      <p>"What is it, JARVIS?" Tony asked aloud.</p>
      <p>Cordelia looked a little disturbed to see Tony talking to no one. Then she asked, "Does he see dead people?"</p>
      <p>Bruce laughed. "No. It's his AI," he said as if that should explain it.</p>
      <p>"I have a ghost that Willow got to haunt my new place, so I don't judge," Cordelia said.</p>
      <p>"JARVIS is Tony's computer thingy," Buffy said. "He talks to Tony in his head."</p>
      <p>"His earpiece," Bruce quickly clarified as the conversation was going into strange places.</p>
      <p>"JARVIS says there's a buildup of energy west of here," Tony said.</p>
      <p>"I'll bet it's where Xander and Anya are," Buffy said, breaking into a run.</p>
      <p>"Leave it to Xander to find the graveyard where all the fun is," Cordelia said.</p>
      <p>"I'll fly there and meet you guys," Tony said as his suit started coming out of his arms, freaking Cordelia out.</p>
      <p>"That is so weird!" she complained.</p>
      <p>"You get used to it," Bruce assured her as he hurried after the women. Time on a hellmouth was never dull. He hoped the Big Guy wouldn't be needed.</p>
      <p>******<em>To Be Continued******</em></p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Breaking the Spell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The scythe mentioned in this chapter is not the one from season 7.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>
        <em>*****The Cemetery*****</em>
      </p>
      <p>Tony, of course, arrived at the cemetery Buffy told him Xander and Anya where at before she and Cordelia. Flying above, he scouted out the situation. The only one wearing comms was Bruce.</p>
      <p>"It looks like a group of twenty or more are standing in front of some small stage area at the south end of the graveyard," Tony told Bruce.</p>
      <p>"What's going on?" Bruce asked as he tried in vain to keep up with the slayer and Cordelia.</p>
      <p>"I'm not sure. They seem very focused on the woman on the stage," he said. He flew so that he could get a better view.</p>
      <p>"Is it just a regular woman?" Bruce asked, gasping for breath. Finally, he just stopped trying. By the time he got there, the situation might be contained.</p>
      <p>"As far as I can tell," Tony replied.</p>
      <p>Buffy and Cordelia arrived at the edge of the group. "What's going on?" Buffy wondered, looking at all the faces that seemed way too eye-glazed.</p>
      <p>"The people are under some type of spell or something," Cordy said, waving her hand in front of one of them. The person was in a trance of some kind.</p>
      <p>"Where's Xander?" Buffy asked.</p>
      <p>Cordy looked and saw him on the right in the back. "He's over there!" she said, moving toward. She grabbed his arm and turned him around. He blinked and focused on her.</p>
      <p>"What's going on?" she asked him.</p>
      <p>"I don't know. What's going on?" he asked confused.</p>
      <p>"Everyone is in a trance, doofus. You were, too!" Cordy informed him.</p>
      <p>Xander looked at Anya, who was gazing enraptured at the stage. He automatically looked at what she was looking at and was mesmerized again.</p>
      <p>"Damn it, Xander!" Cordy said, annoyed. She pulled him back around to face him.</p>
      <p>"What's going on with him?" Buffy asked.</p>
      <p>"Don't look at the stage. Whatever's going on his happening at the stage," Cordelia warned.</p>
      <p>Buffy looked, of course, and saw the woman holding a glowing rock that she placed on some type of pedestal. When her gaze made it to the woman, she, too, was enraptured.</p>
      <p>"Great! I'm surrounded by idiots!" Cordy complained.</p>
      <p>Xander blinked again and looked at Cordelia. "What's going on?" he asked.</p>
      <p>"Do NOT look at the stage! Whatever's up there is hypnotizing everyone. Even Buffy," Cordelia said.</p>
      <p>"It's a woman holding some stone of some kind," Xander explained.</p>
      <p>Tony and Bruce came up behind them. "What's going on?" Tony asked, taking his face mask off. He glanced at the stage and was mesmerized.</p>
      <p>"Tony?" Bruce asked, confused.</p>
      <p>"Don't look at what he's looking at!" Cordy said quickly.</p>
      <p>Bruce resisted the urge to face forward and saw all the faces with the glassy eyes. "What's happening to everyone?"</p>
      <p>"There's some witch on the stage with a magic rock of some kind," Xander said.</p>
      <p>"She's enslaves you when you look at her," Cordy said. "So don't look!"</p>
      <p>"Buffy resisted the Master. Shouldn't she be able to shake this off?" Xander asked.</p>
      <p>"You have Odin's touch, and you didn't," Cordy pointed out.</p>
      <p>"It helped, but that woman is strong," he said. He tried shaking Anya and moving her like Cordy did him, but it didn't matter. She just kept her focus on the stage.</p>
      <p>"I'll try it with Buffy," Cordy said, reaching out and turning Buffy physically around.</p>
      <p>Buffy blinked and gazed at Cordy in confusion. "What's going on?" she asked.</p>
      <p>"<em>Don't</em> look at the stage. You were spellbound just like everyone else!" Cordy said quickly.</p>
      <p>Buffy grabbed her scythe that Willow had gifted her for her birthday. It was blessed by Odin and made by Asgardian metals. "I bet this will help," she said. "The magic of this should help ward off any other magical influence." Willow had also put protective spells on it, and it had quickly become her favorite weapon.</p>
      <p>"How about you don't test that?" Xander suggested.</p>
      <p>Bruce tried Cordy's maneuver with Tony, and it didn't matter. Tony was focused and entrapped.</p>
      <p>"JARVIS, can you shut Tony's visor?" he asked the AI.</p>
      <p>Tony's visor blocked his view, and Bruce physically moved him around. "Snap out of it, Tony!" Bruce ordered. "JARVIS, obscure his vision somehow."</p>
      <p>Tony blinked. "JARVIS, I can't see," he said.</p>
      <p>"Don't, JARIVS!" Bruce said. "There's a threat that is visual. Tony needs his view a bit obstructed."</p>
      <p>"Cordy, we need to take care of that witch on the stage," Buffy said. Tony seemed to be free of the hypnotism. "Tony, can you aim your gun at the glowing rock without focusing your gaze too much or looking directly at the woman?"</p>
      <p>"I will try," Tony said.</p>
      <p>"Have JARVIS do the focusing," Bruce suggested.</p>
      <p>Xander decided to go around the group of people and approach the woman from behind.</p>
      <p>Buffy saw his plan and followed.</p>
      <p>Cordelia, though, started noticing that the people were getting paler, and some fell to their knees. "The woman is sucking their life or energy from them!" Cordy exclaimed. "We need to stop her."</p>
      <p>Tony's attempt to blow up the glowing rock were thwarted by some type of magical shield. "If she's human, we can't just kill her," Tony said.</p>
      <p>"Xander and Buffy are going at her from behind," Cordelia said. "I'll distract her."</p>
      <p>"Don't look at her face and maybe you won't get transfixed," Bruce suggested.</p>
      <p>Cordy nodded and weaved through the people without looking at the stage. When she got up to the stage, she aimed her gaze at the woman's face. "Hey, lady? What the hell are you doing?" she called out.</p>
      <p>"I am having dinner, of course," the woman said in a pleasant tone.</p>
      <p>"You can't go around feeding on humans!" Cordy told her.</p>
      <p>"They're not going to die. But a girl's gotta eat!" the woman said.</p>
      <p>"Mealtime is over," Buffy announced from behind.</p>
      <p>The woman started to turn, but Xander said in a threatening tone, "Don't turn around or you will lose your head. Literally!"</p>
      <p>The woman froze. "No reason to get carried away!" she said quickly.</p>
      <p>"Release these people and hand over the glowing rock!" Buffy called, pulling out her scythe and poking the pointy end into her back to reinforce the point.</p>
      <p>"I'm not giving you my family heirloom!" the woman said.</p>
      <p>"Ma'am, I suggest you do what she says. She is the slayer and the final authority on all supernatural matters," Xander said.</p>
      <p>The woman was startled. "A slayer? There's a slayer in this town?" she asked.</p>
      <p>"The name is Buffy," Buffy said. "I spent five years on the hellmouth in Sunnydale, and I need a new challenge. But this town is more like a vacation compared to SunnyD."</p>
      <p>The woman felt panic build as she realized who this woman was. Rumors of the slayer killing a god had made it to the Cleveland underworld. "I'm just trying to live!" she protested.</p>
      <p>"You don't do so by feeding on a mass amount of people," Buffy said coldly.</p>
      <p>"I'm a succubus. I can feed during sex or use this family heirloom to pull a mass amount at once. Then I don't have to bother anyone for a year," the woman said, pleading her case.</p>
      <p>Buffy looked at Xander, confused. "Succubus? What do we know about succubuses?" she asked.</p>
      <p>Xander shrugged. "Just what I've read in Giles books. They feed on energy of people. It doesn't have to be sexual, but that is their preference. They are highly attractive to people, and they have a hypnotic sexual appeal," he said.</p>
      <p>"You <em>would</em> know that!" Cordy said, rolling her eyes.</p>
      <p>"Hey, it's succubus! I was a teenage boy!" Xander protested.</p>
      <p>"Since you're not human, I can slay you," Buffy told her. "Get rid of the hypnotism and free these people!"</p>
      <p>The woman bent down and picked up her bag and then took the large gem off the pedestal she had it on. When she covered it by placing in the bag, there was a noticeable change in the people. They started blinking and looking around in confusion.</p>
      <p>Bruce and Tony worked to reassure them.</p>
      <p>"It's Iron Man!" an excited teenager called out.</p>
      <p>While Tony worked the crowd, Cordelia moved closer to the woman. She held her sword up. "Turn around and face Buffy without working your mojo. If you try anything, I'll slice off your head," Cordy warned.</p>
      <p>The woman was visibly scared and turned to face Buffy and Xander.</p>
      <p>Xander's mouth fell open. The woman was extraordinarily beautiful. "Wow! You're stunning!" he exclaimed.</p>
      <p>The woman gave him a weak smile. "Thanks. All succubus are attractive," she said. "Or they can use a glamour to appear so."</p>
      <p>Buffy's hand was on her scythe, so she didn't have any reaction at all to the woman's good looks. Buffy did notice the gorgeous head of black silky hair and felt a pang of hair envy that she ruthlessly ignored. "Give me the magic rock!" Buffy ordered.</p>
      <p>"Please don't take it!" the woman begged. "If I have it, I don't have to feed on people for many months. The rock can give me what I need."</p>
      <p>Bruce and Tony made their way to the stage. "Is she a witch?" Tony asked.</p>
      <p>"No, she's a succubus," Xander answered.</p>
      <p>"Seriously?" Tony said excitedly.</p>
      <p>"She says that feeding on people at once with the help of her family heirloom—the magic rock—means she doesn't have to feed during sex," Cordy said, rolling her eyes. "What a load of crap!"</p>
      <p>"No! I swear!" the woman said.</p>
      <p>"We need to get her to Wesley, and he can decide if there's any truth to this," Buffy said.</p>
      <p>"So you feed on sexual energy like the myths suggest?" Tony asked, fascinated.</p>
      <p>"I mean no harm. I don't kill anyone!" the woman said.</p>
      <p>"What's your name?" Bruce asked her.</p>
      <p>"It's Nia," the woman said.</p>
      <p>"I'm Bruce. This is Tony," Bruce said. "Have you ever tried another energy source besides people?"</p>
      <p>The woman blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? I am a succubus. We feed off the life force of humans," she said.</p>
      <p>"But have you ever <em>tried</em> other life forces? Like a bunny or a dog?" Tony suggested.</p>
      <p>Buffy looked scandalized. "What are you doing? You can't go around suggesting people eat a dog!" she exclaimed.</p>
      <p>The two men gave Buffy a confused look. "You think dogs are more important than people?" Bruce asked.</p>
      <p>"Well, no," Buffy said. The two scientists were looking at her in disapproval.</p>
      <p>"She means that feeding off of any living creature is messed up!" Cordelia explained.</p>
      <p>Buffy nodded. "That's it exactly!" she agreed. "However, I would suggest that a<em> human</em> life should be valued above all other life."</p>
      <p>"Debate later," Cordy said.</p>
      <p>"If you're willing to spend a few weeks in a luxury hotel, I'd love to run some tests and see if we can find a solution to your feeding on people problem," Tony said to Nia.</p>
      <p>Nia may be a supernatural creature, but she knew exactly who Tony Stark was and how much money he was worth. "Can I keep my family heirloom?" she asked.</p>
      <p>"Of course! We need to run some test on it and figure out why it's so special," Tony said.</p>
      <p>Cordy rolled her eyes. "Great. You take Succubus Barbie back to New York, and we'll continue the good fight here," she said.</p>
      <p>"First, I want her to get the word out to her little succubus friends. I catch anymore mass feedings like this, heads will roll," Buffy warned, lifting her scythe in a threatening manner.</p>
      <p>"She doesn't mean that," Tony said quickly.</p>
      <p>"I do," Buffy said firmly. "Spread the word."</p>
      <p>"Okay," Nia said.</p>
      <p>Buffy looked at Tony. "Bring her back to Wesley. He needs to sign off on her going anywhere. Just because a pretty supernatural creature bats her eyes and tells you that she means no harm, doesn't mean it's true!"</p>
      <p>"We will," Bruce said.</p>
      <p>"Let's go," she said to Cordelia. She turned and headed off the stage.</p>
      <p>"What the hell is going on?" Anya asked as she made it to her friends and Xander. Buffy and Cordy were hopping off the stage.</p>
      <p>Xander hugged her. "The succubus had you in her spell. Me, too, but Cordy pulled me away, breaking the connection," he shared. "For some reason, it didn't work on you." They began walking in Buffy and Cordy's direction.</p>
      <p>"Because I'm a pathetic human," Anya muttered. Some days she really missed having her demon powers. "More than one succubus broke up marriages back in my day of vengeancing. They are a powerful bunch and much revered by vengeance minded folks."</p>
      <p>"Good to know," Xander said, keeping his arm around her shoulder. "How about we head by that ice-cream shop we've been wanting to try?"</p>
      <p>Buffy was several feet ahead and stopped. "Did someone say ice-cream?" she asked hopefully.</p>
      <p>Cordelia laughed. "Got the munchies?"</p>
      <p>"I didn't get to hardly use my scythe. Since Willow gave it too me, I've not got to kill any demons with it at all. I need something to slay this night," Buffy said with a pout.</p>
      <p>"Where's Tony and Bruce?" Anya asked.</p>
      <p>"They were escorting Nia to her house with plans to bring her back to Wesley," Cordy said.</p>
      <p>"The guys want to experiment on her," Buffy said.</p>
      <p>"Wesley's going to be so fascinated," Cordelia said with a smile. "We never came across one of these in L.A."</p>
      <p>"He can call Giles and brag," Buffy said, laughing.</p>
      <p>Cleveland might not be the most exciting hellmouth to live on, but all of them liked the lack of high stakes even if they complained about the dullness.</p>
      <p>There was something to be said about boredom. For once, they could live like regular people again.</p>
      <p>That had to be a good thing, right?</p>
      <p>*****<em>Chapter End*****</em></p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Fear Realized</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>
        <em>*****A Week Later*****</em>
      </p>
      <p>All week long, Xander was seeing a skeleton once a day when he looked at Anya, and he was terrified. His connection to the All-Father wasn't helping him much. In fact, Odin was pissing him off.</p>
      <p>
        <em>I told you, Alexander, the demon was not your destiny.</em>
      </p>
      <p>First of all, Anya wasn't a demon. Second of all, he didn't have a destiny. That was Buffy. Xander just wanted to do his part to help his friends, and he wanted to marry his girl.</p>
      <p>Anya's safety was his priority, so he refused to let her go patrolling. In fact, he kept her occupied with sex or the store. Seeing her so happy made the fear ease for just a moment. Then he would worry even more. Finally, he shared his concern with Buffy.</p>
      <p>"I'm terrified, Buffy. I've got a premonition about Anya's death. I had it before we left, and the past week, the skeleton on her face hasn't left hardly at all," Xander told her.</p>
      <p>"Oh my God, Xander! Why didn't you say something sooner?" Buffy asked.</p>
      <p>"Part of me hoped it was just my overactive imagination," Xander said. "Then I thought that if we left Sunnydale things would be fine."</p>
      <p>"Is that why you wanted to move here?" Buffy asked.</p>
      <p>"Yea," Xander admitted. "I wanted to keep her safe. But now I'm not sure there's anything else I can do."</p>
      <p>"Well, of course, there is," Buffy said. "We'll just watch her anytime she leaves. Make sure she stays safe."</p>
      <p>"That's what I've been doing," Xander said. "But I'm going nuts. The skeleton is daily now."</p>
      <p>"Have you asked the All-Father?" Buffy inquired.</p>
      <p>Xander glared. "Don't get me started on Odin. All he would say is that she wasn't my destiny," he said sourly.</p>
      <p>Buffy cringed. "Angel wasn't mine, but I loved him more than I've ever loved anyone," she shared. "I wouldn't worry about Odin. As old as he is, he's probably the ultimate big picture guy."</p>
      <p>"I just can't lose her, Buffy," Xander said with an edge of desperation.</p>
      <p>Buffy hugged him. "We won't lose her," she assured him, vowing to herself to be vigilant. "Cordy hasn't had any visions about us, and we know she can. She had that vision once about me in danger, remember? Angel came to town and tried to hide from me?"</p>
      <p>Xander nodded. "That's true," he said.</p>
      <p>"And you don't know what your sight means," Buffy said. "You've not had anything to prove your visions as immediate, right?"</p>
      <p>"No," Xander acknowledged.</p>
      <p>"So maybe it's just because you love her so much, and your vision thingy is reminding you that she is mortal," Buffy pointed out.</p>
      <p>"You think so?" Xander asked.</p>
      <p>"Well, it's a possibility," Buffy replied. "But either way, we'll be careful and watch out for her."</p>
      <p>Xander hugged her. "Thank you," he said, feeling better.</p>
      <p>"Why are you hugging another woman?" Anya said, coming into the room. "I thought being engaged meant you weren't supposed to do that?"</p>
      <p>Buffy grinned at her and moved to hug her, too. "I love you, Anya," she said. "Don't ever change."</p>
      <p>"You know that I like men to give me orgasms, right?" Anya informed her. "You might want to talk to Willow or Tara."</p>
      <p>Buffy and Xander both laughed. It was funny. Anya used to annoy her a lot, but now Buffy found her directness refreshing and amusing.</p>
      <p>That evening, Cordelia gave Buffy her mail. She grinned, always excited to get it. Dawn and her niece and nephew had written her, so she was going to have to make time to write them back. Sure, she could just call, but it was nice getting mail.</p>
      <p>She saved Bucky's letter for last.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Dear Buffy,</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>It was great hearing from you. I'm glad that you've settled in on your new hellmouth. Now, that's a sentence that I never thought I'd write! I think your life might be as weird as mine. If you could be here where I am in Africa, you would be blown away. During the war, I saw so many things, and I went to other countries. However, none of them can compare to the beauty that is Africa. What's amazing about this vast continent is how huge it is, much bigger than the United States. I'm only in a tiny part of it. I can't help but wonder what else is here? This part that I'm at right now is breathtaking. Maybe someday, we can explore Africa together.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>I never thought I had a future or that I could be anything but a monster. Now I feel like my old self again. My head is my own finally as the brilliant doctor here fixed me. For the first time in so long, I find that I want to live in the world again. You have a lot to do with that. Your faith in me has given me hope. Steve was the only one who cared about me and what I did with my life. I hope it's not presumptuous of me to say to you that I hope we can explore this connection between us when I return to the States. A good friend is hard to find, and if that's all we ever are, I would be glad to call you friend.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>But if we could be more, I would count myself the most fortunate of men.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Sincerely yours,</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Bucky</em>
      </p>
      <p>Buffy read the letter over and over. Then she called up Willow.</p>
      <p>"Hey, Will," she said. "How's New York?"</p>
      <p>"It is so awesome, Buffy. I wish you were here," she said.</p>
      <p>"I've been there, so I know," Buffy said.</p>
      <p>"The apartment Tony hooked us up with is a two bedroom, so there's a room for you when you can come visit," Willow said. "Or anyone else. How is everyone?"</p>
      <p>"Good," she said. "Xander, though, is having these premonitions that Anya is going to die soon, and he's freaking out."</p>
      <p>"What?" Willow exclaimed. "What do you mean? What's going on? Why didn't he call? I can't believe he didn't tell me!"</p>
      <p>"Will, slow down," Buffy admonished. "Xander is freaking out, and he has been for a while. He just told me today, so I wouldn't focus on the why he didn't tell you part." She told Willow what Xander said.</p>
      <p>"This is horrible," Willow said. "Tara and I will start working on a protection spell. I can fuse it into a stone in a necklace or something. That will protect her from any violent wounds or something similar."</p>
      <p>"That would be great, Will," Buffy said.</p>
      <p>"How about you? Anything going on with you? You and Cordy getting along?" Willow asked.</p>
      <p>"Actually, we are," Buffy admitted. "She's so different from high school. Sometimes it wigs me out, and then other times, I'll see a glimpse of the old Cordy and be relieved. But the mean, shallow Cordy we knew is gone."</p>
      <p>"That's good. I won't miss her," Willow said.</p>
      <p>"I got another letter from Bucky," Buffy admitted.</p>
      <p>"Oh, my goddess!" Willow squealed. "Tara, Buffy got another letter!"</p>
      <p>Buffy smiled at Willow's excitement. "It's not that big of deal," she said.</p>
      <p>"I'm putting you on speaker phone," Willow said. "It is a big deal. You have a pen pal that has romantic potential. How long's it been since you've met anyone with romantic potential?"</p>
      <p>"Hey, there's Steve. He's single and hunky," Buffy said. "Thor, too."</p>
      <p>"Yea, but you aren't attracted to either of those guys," Willow pointed out.</p>
      <p>"I don't know that I'm attracted to Bucky either," she protested. "We met like twice, and once he was behind bars."</p>
      <p>"That's what makes this so romantic!" Willow gushed. "His pain called out to yours. There's a connection. Right, Tara?"</p>
      <p>"Well, it's clear that you're drawn to him to some degree, right?" Tara said.</p>
      <p>"Yes. I felt bad for him," Buffy admitted.</p>
      <p>"How do his letters make you feel?" Tara wondered.</p>
      <p>"Excited. Warm," she admitted.</p>
      <p>"So read the latest to us!" Willow demanded.</p>
      <p>"You're kind of bossy, you know?" Buffy said as she opened the letter.</p>
      <p>"Only when it's best," Willow teased.</p>
      <p>Buffy laughed and shared the letter.</p>
      <p>"Wow, Buffy! I think he really likes you!" Willow gushed.</p>
      <p>"Yea, it does sound that way," Tara agreed.</p>
      <p>"You really think so?" she asked.</p>
      <p>"You have to write him back and be open without being too forward," Willow advised. "No need to scare him off."</p>
      <p>"Honest but casual? I think I can do that," Buffy said.</p>
      <p>"Will, it's times to go to the dinner," Tara said.</p>
      <p>"Okay," Willow said. "We have this dinner with Tony and Pepper."</p>
      <p>"That's cool," Buffy said. "Tony always knows how to show a good time."</p>
      <p>"Yea, he still talking about the showdown with Nia, the succubus," Willow said.</p>
      <p>"Please tell me that he's not letting woman run around unsupervised," Buffy said.</p>
      <p>"Nah. Pepper was pretty pissed that he brought her back to his lab," Willow said, snickering. "She made him move Nia to the Tower."</p>
      <p>"We have to go, Will," Tara said. "We'll call you soon, Buffy. Be careful."</p>
      <p>"Tell everyone hello. I'll call Xander tomorrow," Willow said.</p>
      <p>"Thanks," Buffy said. She hung up and thought about what she wanted to write to Bucky.</p>
      <p>
        <em>Dear Bucky,</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>It was nice to hear from you again. I'm so glad things are going so well for you and that you're feeling better. I have never been to another country, and I'd love to explore Africa someday with you.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Things are going well here in the baby hellmouth. It's a bit dull for our normal fare, but I don't really mind. I can go to school this year and actually have time to focus on them. It'll be a nice change.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Xander's been worried about Anya. He's been seeing pictures of a skeleton on her when he looks at her, a sucky gift from the All-Father. He is terrified that she's going to die. Willow, though, is going to make her a protective charm of some kind. It took me a while to warm up to Anya because she is so blunt and inappropriate, but she's loyal and a good friend. I know that she loves Xander a lot and makes him happy, so I'm going to do what I can to keep her safe for him.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>You take care of yourself. I hope you can leave Africa soon and come for a visit. It'd be nice to see you again.</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Sincerely,</em>
      </p>
      <p>
        <em>Buffy</em>
      </p>
      <p>It took several times before she was finally satisfied with this version. She let him know that she was interested without being too gushy. Hopefully, he would come visit sometime soon.</p>
      <p>*****<em>Two Days Later*****</em></p>
      <p>Anya smiled down at Xander, lying into bed next to her. She didn't know what had come over him lately, but he was being so attentive and loving. Every day, she felt like she loved him more and more. Her new store was coming along, and they decided to wait until next summer to get married. Anya felt they should wait until the store was established before getting into the wedding planning. Xander wasn't in a hurry, so she knew he was okay with the delay.</p>
      <p>"I love you, Xander," she said, bending down and kissing him.</p>
      <p>"Love you," he mumbled automatically. His eyes remained closed. Warmth filled her as his response was so a part of him that he didn't need to be fully conscious to say it.</p>
      <p>Feeling energized and not tired, she got up out of bed. The clock said three o'clock. Why did she wake up four hours earlier than normal? Shrugging, she got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower and start her day. There was a new shipment coming in today, so she could clear some room on the shelves.</p>
      <p>She wrote a little note and put it on her pillow, so Xander wouldn't wake up and worry. He'd been a tad bit overprotective lately.</p>
      <p>Her car was parked in the front, so she was on the road in less than a minute. The new store was only two miles down the road, and she stopped at the only red light she hit, tapping her fingers to the steering wheel in beat to the radio song playing. The light turned green, and she moved through it.</p>
      <p>She didn't notice the truck that blew through the red light, hitting her small car on her side.</p>
      <p>*****<em>To Be Continued*****</em></p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Heartbreak and Healing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>*****Not Much Later*****</em>
</p><p>The ringing of his cell phone woke Xander up. "Ahn," he mumbled. The phone kept ringing. "Ahn," he said again. Finally, he turned and saw her empty spot. He reached for his phone.</p><p>"Hello?" he asked.</p><p>"Xander Harris?" a female voice asked.</p><p>"Yes," he said. "Do you know what time it is?"</p><p>"It's four in the morning," the woman replied.</p><p>"Way too early or late for calls," Xander said.</p><p>"Do you know an Anya Jenkins?" the woman asked.</p><p>The question jarred Xander fully awake and reached for the bedside lamp to turn it on. The bright light hurt his eyes, but he answered, "Yes, she's my fiancée. Why?"</p><p>"There has been a car accident, sir. You need to come to the University Hospital right away," she said.</p><p>"Anya is home with me," he said, looking around the room. "Hold on a minute." He put the phone down. "Anya!" He waited for her to come, but she didn't. Frowning, he finally saw the note left on her pillow.</p><p>
  <em>Xander, my incredible lover and devoted fiancée,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I got up way too early, unable to sleep, so I'm off to work early. Bring me some breakfast when you get up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anya, the sexy and even better lover</em>
</p><p>Xander smiled a second and then horror filled him as he realized that she'd left the house without him. He picked the phone back up. "The University Hospital?" he asked.</p><p>"Yes, the one on Euclid Avenue," she said. "Second floor."</p><p>Xander dropped his phone and jumped out of bed, throwing on some pants, and grabbing a shirt. He ran to the bathroom to pee, splashing water on his face as he washed his hands. His shoes were by the front door, so he grabbed them and his keys and went out the door. Wesley lived closest, so he pounded on his door loudly.</p><p>"What's the bloody emergency?" Wesley said, glaring as he opened the door.</p><p>"Anya's in the hospital. The University Hospital down the street," Xander said.</p><p>He left Wesley processing that as he hit the stairs, banging on Buffy's door next.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, sensing the tension immediately.</p><p>"It's Anya. She's been in an accident," he said.</p><p>"Let me grab my keys and shoes," she said. Xander nodded and pounded on Cordy's door, telling her the same thing.</p><p>Xander was heading to the front door, not caring if anyone was following when Buffy stepped behind him.</p><p>"I'll follow with Wesley in five," Cordelia called out.</p><p>"Okay," Buffy said, grabbing Xander's keys. "I'm driving."</p><p>Xander didn't protest as his mind was in utter turmoil. "I should've told her what I was seeing," he said to Buffy. "She didn't know that it wasn't safe for her."</p><p>"A car accident doesn't mean she's going to die, Xander," Buffy pointed out. "We don't know anything yet."</p><p>Xander nodded, hoping she was right. They drove to the hospital in silence. Buffy parked in the ER parking, and they ran to the elevator. "She said the second floor," Xander said, pushing the button.</p><p>The nurse at the front desk wouldn't tell them anything. "I will get the doctor," she said and left.</p><p>Xander looked at Buffy. "I don't think that's a good sign, Buffy," he said, feeling sick.</p><p>Buffy reached for his hand, praying that he was wrong. Xander and Anya gave her hope for love and happiness. This couldn't be the end of their journey.</p><p>It was five minutes or so before a doctor came to them. "I'm Doctor Kirsey," the man said. "You are looking for information about the car accident victim Anya Jenkins?"</p><p>"Yes, I'm her fiancée. She has no living relatives," Xander said.</p><p>"I'm sorry to tell you that the hit from the oncoming car snapped her neck," the doctor said. "She died instantly."</p><p>"Where is she?" Xander asked, not believing it.</p><p>Buffy was crying as she pulled out her phone to call Cordelia.</p><p>"We're on our way," Cordelia said in greeting.</p><p>"Cordy, she's dead," Buffy said on a sob.</p><p>"What?" Cordelia asked, stunned.</p><p>"The doctor just told us her neck was broken. She died instantly," Buffy said. Xander was moving down the hall, following the doctor, so she followed him.</p><p>"Oh, God," Cordelia said. She glanced at Wesley and shook her head slightly.</p><p>"Can you call everyone? Will and Giles? I'll call Dawn later," Buffy said.</p><p>"Okay," Cordelia said. "Should we come to the hospital?"</p><p>"I don't think so," Buffy said. "I'll talk to you soon." She hung up the phone as they arrived at a room.</p><p>"She's in there," the doctor said.</p><p>"Thanks," Buffy told him as Xander stepped into the room. Her body was covered in a white sheet.</p><p>Xander slowly moved toward her still form, unable to process what had happened. Buffy stood next to him, reaching for his hand again. "Do you want me to pull the sheet back?" Buffy asked.</p><p>He shook his head and reached out, slowly pulling it back. When he saw for sure that it was Anya, his legs gave out on him. Buffy caught him and eased him to the ground as they both cried.</p><p>Several minutes went by until he gained control, wiping his face on his shirt. "I tried so hard to save her," he said. He looked up. "How could you let this happen, Odin? She didn't deserve this! I loved her!"</p><p>"<em>I am sorry, Alexander. Her death was the natural order of things. Your sight did not make it happen, nor could you have prevented it," Odin told him. "It was a stupid, human accident, not supernatural."</em></p><p>"It shouldn't matter! Heal her!" Xander called out.</p><p>"What did he say?" Buffy asked, realizing that Odin was, in fact, communicating with Xander.</p><p>"<em>I cannot heal death," Odin said. "Her soul is beyond already."</em></p><p>"I don't want to live without her!" Xander cried.</p><p>"<em>Death is a part of life," Odin said. "You will see her again one day, fear not."</em></p><p>His presence withdrew from Xander's mind. Xander let out a horrible cry of anguish and rage.</p><p>"Calm down, Xander," Buffy said.</p><p>"He gave me the ability to see her death, but he won't do anything to help!" Xander said. "He claims that he can't heal death."</p><p>"He's powerful, Xander, but not all-powerful," Buffy said.</p><p>"Willow brought you back," he pointed out.</p><p>"She said it was because my death was supernatural," Buffy pointed out.</p><p>Xander stood to his feet again and looked down at Anya. Her neck was definitely broken, and there was cuts and abrasions on her face. He stroked her hair gently. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I should've told you," he said. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead—it was already cold. Then he straightened up.</p><p>"You ready to go?" Buffy asked. He nodded, and they walked out of the hospital.</p><p>The drive back to their homes was silent as neither knew what to say. "Xander, what can I do?" Buffy asked when they got inside the building.</p><p>"I don't know," he said. "I just need to be alone for a while."</p><p>Buffy hugged him tightly. "I love you," she said.</p><p>"I know," Xander said with a grim smile. Then he went to the stairs to his apartment.</p><p>*****<em>Several Hours Later*****</em></p><p>Willow and Tara arrived. Both girls were in shock. "I finished the protective charm for Anya last night," Willow said, crying. "Why didn't I get it done sooner and overnight it?"</p><p>"You can't blame yourself, Will," Buffy said.</p><p>"We don't know that a charm would've protected her from a car accident," Tara pointed out.</p><p>"When is Giles arriving?" Cordelia asked.</p><p>"He should be here tomorrow," Buffy said.</p><p>"I just can't believe I didn't have a vision or something," Cordelia said, feeling guilty. "It just seems so wrong."</p><p>"It wasn't supernatural," Buffy said. "Xander has been seeing her death for weeks. It's part of the reason he wanted to leave Sunnydale. He thought the hellmouth was going to kill her."</p><p>"Seriously? Why didn't the dweeb say something?" Cordelia asked.</p><p>"He just said something to me a few days ago," Buffy said.</p><p>"I'm going to go check on him," Willow said.</p><p>"Do you want me to come with you?" Tara asked.</p><p>"Let me go alone and see how he is," Willow said.</p><p>"Make sure you asked him if he wants us to handle the arrangements for her," Buffy said. If Giles hadn't helped her when her mother died, she wouldn't have survived the ordeal.</p><p>"I will," Willow said. She went upstairs and knocked on his door, opening it without waiting for permission to enter. "Xander?" He wasn't in the living room, so she went into their bedroom. He was sitting on the bed, holding a piece of paper.</p><p>"Xander," she said again. He looked up at her, his face looking devastated.</p><p>"She's gone, Will," he said.</p><p>"I know," Willow said, her eyes filling with tears at this pain.</p><p>"This was the last thing she said to me," he said, holding up the piece of paper.</p><p>Willow sat down next to him, reading the note. It made her smile—it was so Anya. "There wasn't anyone like Anya," she said.</p><p>"No, there wasn't," he said. "You know at first it was just sex. She came to my room naked, and I was weak."</p><p>Willow grinned. "I can't say that surprises me. She did like sex," she said.</p><p>"But it wasn't just sex for long because she was so funny and loyal and brave," he said. "Her quirks were just so cute to me, and she didn't mind mine."</p><p>"And she loved money," Willow said.</p><p>Xander smiled. "She really did," he said. "She was good at making it. You should see her investment portfolio," he said.</p><p>"I guess after a thousand years a person learns how to work the market," Willow said.</p><p>Xander nodded. "When she figured out Wall Street, she was so excited," he said. "I couldn't help her because it was over my head. She was so proud."</p><p>Willow smiled, picturing Anya's enthusiasm. "Do you know if she had life insurance?" Willow asked, feeling crass for doing so.</p><p>Xander nodded. "Yes, she had one for both of us. All a part of her investment portfolio," he said. "I have the paperwork in her desk drawer in the spare room. It's her home office."</p><p>"We'll need to give the hospital a place to send the body," Willow said.</p><p>"I don't really care where," he said.</p><p>"Would you like us to find a place?" she asked.</p><p>"Sure," he said. "One place is as good as another."</p><p>"Okay," Willow said. She put her head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Xander."</p><p>"Yea," he said. "What am I going to do without her, Will? I wanted to marry her."</p><p>"I know," Willow said, tears rolling down her face. "But you're not alone, Xander. I'm here with you and so is everyone else."</p><p>He nodded. "All I can think about is what Odin said to me about her. 'She's not your future.' He basically said that she wasn't good enough 'cause she used to be a demon. I'm so mad at him right now," he said.</p><p>"He's an ass," Willow agreed, wiping her face. "I'll have Tara tell Loki to find a way to punish him for this."</p><p>"I'd really like that," Xander said. Then he started crying again, and Willow hugged him.</p><p>*****<em>Asgard*****</em></p><p>The All-Father stood next to Heimdall. "How is Alexander?" he asked.</p><p>"Do you not know?" Heimdall asked in surprise.</p><p>"He is very angry with me," Odin said. "I cannot connect to him."</p><p>"He is able to keep you out?" Heimdall inquired.</p><p>Odin nodded. "Yes. He is an incredible young man," he said.</p><p>"He is burying her today," Heimdall said. "His friends have surrounded him."</p><p>"I knew this would happen, but I didn't make it happen," Odin said. "How do I get him to see this?"</p><p>"You told him she wasn't the one, and then she died," Heimdall said. "Humans are very loyal, so he will not be quick to understand."</p><p>"I told him she wasn't the one because I knew she would die before the year was out," Odin said. "It was established. There was so many threats surrounding her that I knew it was only a matter of time. Not even leaving the hellmouth could stop what was to be."</p><p>"One day he will understand," Heimdall said.</p><p>"I wouldn't count on that, sir," Loki said, having been listening from the sidelines. "Tara told me that he wasn't just heartbroken, but he is very angry with you."</p><p>"I know," Odin said, looking sad.</p><p>Loki smirked. "I'm surprised that you care so much about the fate of these mortals. You have not ever shown such consideration," he remarked.</p><p>"With age comes wisdom," Odin said. "My son cares about Earth and the people on it. You have shown yourself to care about at least one of them."</p><p>"Well, Tara is special," Loki said, a touch defensively.</p><p>"And Cordelia?" Odin said with a smile.</p><p>"A few Midgardians are worth the bother," Loki acknowledged. "Most are not."</p><p>"Alexander is every bit as worthy as his friends," Odin said. "With Lady Cordelia and the slayer by his side, he will do much to guard his people. I chose him for a reason—he is worthy of my blessing."</p><p>Loki felt a hot flare of jealousy that another man would be so close to Cordelia. Still, he was powerless to do anything. Nodding to the All-Father, he turned away.</p><p>It was past time for him to find a way to be on Earth. As he was the God of Mischief, he would soon end his isolation.</p><p>*****<em>Cleveland*****</em></p><p>Buffy hated seeing Xander so angry and bitter. There had been times when she felt a lot of anger for her life and events that happened. However, she hadn't experienced the bitterness that she was feeling coming from Xander. How was she going to reach him?</p><p>Feeling helpless, she decided to go for a walk to clear her head. When she opened her front door, she looked up in shock, surprised to see the man standing there.</p><p>"Bucky?" she said.</p><p>"I thought maybe you could use a friend right now," he said, feeling awkward.</p><p>Buffy stared wordlessly at him for a long moment. Then she hugged him.</p><p>*****<em>The End*****</em></p>
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